The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

The Big Suey: The Dirty Demon of Debate Returns (feat. David Samson)

Date: August 19, 2025

Episode Overview

Broadcast from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, this episode of "The Big Suey" sees Dan, Stugotz, Greg Cody, Billy Gil, and guest David Samson dive deep into the latest Miami Marlins turmoil, Major League Baseball's looming expansion and realignment, and a spirited pop culture roundtable featuring time travel movies and the current state of Marvel films. As always, the conversation hops between insightful sports analysis, irreverent debate, and outright comedic banter.

Key Discussion Points

1. Miami Marlins: Deadline Decisions and Organizational Philosophy

Segment: [01:41]-[10:45]

• David Samson details the Marlins' struggles after a mid-season “winning streak,” arguing that it disrupted the team's long-term rebuilding plan:
  • “The worst thing that happened to the Marlins was all the winning they did right before the deadline… it made the owner… rethink what they were going to do.” — David Samson [02:14]
• Greg Cody and Jeremy debate if it’s really a collapse, and whether the team missed its chance to sell high on certain players, specifically Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera:
  • “Cabrera had genuine trade value… but Sandy, his trade value went way down this season.” — Jeremy [03:31]
• Ownership interjection: Samson argues team ownership overrode baseball ops with an emotional response to a temporary hot streak:
  • “I promise you the decision to buy or sell is made by 30 men, not President of Baseball Ops. Owners have the final say.” — David Samson [10:45]
• Comparisons to the Rays: Discussion about how Tampa Bay outsmarts other teams by identifying undervalued players, which the Marlins aspire to but haven't mastered.

2. MLB Expansion and Realignment

Segment: [18:14]-[23:08]

• Rob Manfred’s comments on MLB expansion spark a lively segment. Samson puts it bluntly:
  • “It is as guaranteed as the sunset tonight in Miami... There’s going to be expansion, and it will happen once Tampa is sold and once that ballpark starts getting built.” — David Samson [18:25]
• Realignment and its purpose: The team debates merits of putting the Mets and Yankees together, as well as regionalizing the league (East vs. West conferences, or completely balanced 8-division system):
  • “How does it make sense to you that the Mets and Yankees are not in the same division?” — David Samson [20:02]
• Resistance to change: Jeremy and Billy debate whether divisions matter if the schedule becomes fully balanced, with Jeremy skeptical about the appeal of a Southeast Division with Miami, Tampa, Atlanta, and Nashville.

3. Movie Review: Freaky Tales on HBO Max

Segment: [23:13]-[24:28]

• David Samson reviews "Freaky Tales," calling it a new 1980s set, segmented horror film starring Pedro Pascal:
  • “This is a 1980s movie, except it’s new… It’s a great '80s movie, but it’s also got a horror component, but not like jump scare—like gore.” — David Samson [23:25]
  • Samson manages a (semi-accidental) spoiler about Pascal’s character, much to Greg Cody and Jeremy’s mock outrage.

4. The Evolving Theater Experience & Spoiler Culture

Segment: [25:07]-[27:55]

• Spirited conversation about what makes movies theater-worthy in the streaming era.
• Greg Cody: “I used to say, I know what gets me to a theater. If it’s like a big budget, like, you know, Avengers-style thing. … And now I’ve reached the point where my—nah, man.” [26:09]
• Billy Gil: “Here’s the thing ... I have to see all superhero movies in the theater, and I have to see them right away. … I don’t want spoilers.” [26:41]
• Taylor Tolman adds a warm note about the value of communal laughter at a comedy in theaters.

5. The Big Time Travel Movie Debate

Segment: [32:05]-[40:03]

A classic "Suey" segment features Billy Gil and Jeremy dueling over their top five time travel movies, with Greg Cody as judge.

• Billy’s OLI (Outside Looking In):

  • Back to the Future (“too easy”), The Butterfly Effect, The Adam Project

• Jeremy’s OLI:

  • Hot Tub Time Machine, Deadpool 2, Next (Nicolas Cage)

• Billy’s Top Five: 5. 12 Monkeys 4. Arrival (“You’ve never seen a movie like Arrival.” — Billy Gil [36:15]) 3. Looper (“It's the same movie as Deadpool 2, only it was made before.” — Billy Gil [36:53]) 2. X-Men: Days of Future Past (“That’s a great movie!”)

  1. Interstellar (“It’s Christopher Nolan’s best film … It’s an incredible—They’re on the planet. Every hour they're on the planet, they lose seven years.” — Billy Gil [38:46])

• Greg’s Top Five: 5. Avengers: Endgame (“It's a heist movie, but also they say it's not time travel because you're going in different realities of time.”) 4. Back to the Future 3 (“They went back to the 1880s…”) 3. Edge of Tomorrow (“Edge of Tomorrow. That got me to the theaters.”) 2. Back to the Future 2 (“Remember what 2015 looked like? That was cool.”)

  1. Back to the Future (“The quintessential time travel movie.” — Greg Cody [39:50])

• Winner: Greg Cody, for the classic appeal of Back to the Future.

6. The Marvel Cinematic Universe: Fandom Fatigue

Segment: [30:32]-[31:54]

• Debate about what would pull them to theaters for Marvel films: The team largely agrees there’s no urgency to see new Marvel movies, compared to "Endgame" era excitement.
• Dan Le Batard: “Because the quality dipped for an extended period of time, and things got too messy with all these timelines. … Now there's a great rebundling ... they'll try to give you all the nostalgia and then put all the old guard away and then start right back from the beginning.” [31:26]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• [02:14] David Samson: "The worst thing that happened to the Marlins was all the winning they did right before the deadline."
• [10:45] David Samson: "I promise you the decision to buy or sell is made by 30 men, not President of Baseball Ops. Owners have the final say."
• [18:25] David Samson: "It is as guaranteed as the sunset tonight in Miami... There’s going to be [MLB] expansion."
• [23:25] David Samson: "This is a 1980s movie, except it’s new… It’s a great '80s movie... but it’s also got a horror component."
• [26:09] Greg Cody: "I used to say, I know what gets me to a theater. If it’s like a big budget, like, you know, Avengers-style thing. … And now I’ve reached the point where my—nah, man."
• [31:26] Dan Le Batard: "Because the quality dipped for an extended period of time, and things got too messy with all these timelines. And there's a great rebundling..."
• [39:50] Greg Cody: "The quintessential time travel movie. … What would it be like if I met my mom and father when they were in high school?"
• Recurring Bit: Group teases and riffs about movie spoilers, with several mock arguments about whether revealing Pedro Pascal’s fate in "Freaky Tales" is egregious.

Detailed Timestamps

| Timestamp | Topic/Quote | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:41 | Introduction of David Samson, Marlins trade deadline fallout | | 02:14 | “The worst thing ... was all the winning they did right before deadline.”| | 10:45 | “I promise you the decision to buy or sell is made by 30 men, not GM.” | | 18:25 | “Expansion is a guarantee. ... as the sunset tonight in Miami.” | | 20:02 | “How does it make sense the Mets and Yankees are not in the same division?”| | 23:25 | “It’s a great '80s movie ... but it’s also got a horror component.” | | 26:09 | “I used to say, I know what gets me to a theater... And now... nah, man.”| | 31:26 | “Because the quality dipped ... great rebundling ... nostalgia ...” | | 39:50 | “The quintessential time travel movie.” |

Tone and Style

As ever, the tone is half irreverent, half deeply informed. The crew veers between heartfelt sports analysis, zesty debate (“You’re a giant infant, okay? You have no control over your emotions.” [12:53]), and the kind of rambling, listener-friendly pop culture breakdowns that make “The Big Suey” a unique podcasting experience. Samson brings a blend of candor and cynicism, while Greg Cody and Billy Gil keep things light and combative.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is a perfect encapsulation of the Le Batard Show’s strengths: uniquely Miami-fried sports insight, sharp industry commentary, and a pop-culture free-for-all that reaches surprising depth. If you want to know why the Marlins keep spinning their wheels, how the future MLB could look radically different, and which time travel movies really matter, this is your Big Suey. And, yes, “Back to the Future” still wins.